Reel and method of assembling reels



April 18, 1933. L. R. MCGUIRE REEL AND METHOD OF ASSEMB LING Rams Filed June 20, 1930 FIG. 4,

ATTURNE) Patented Apr. 18, 1933 :UNITED'STATE'S' PATENT OFFICE LEE 3. MCGUIRE, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR r WEs'rEaN ELEc'rEIc conrA EfiNcoEro-EmrED, or EW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION on NEW YORK REEL AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING REELS Application filed June 20,

This invention relates to reels andlmethods of assembling reels, and more particularly to reels for holding cable or other heavy material and methods of assembling such reels.

An object of the invention is to provide a reel of sturdy and economical constructioning drum is provided with radially disposed,

spokes, each secured at its outer extremity to an annular channel member or lag receiving rim of continuous cross section. When the reel has been fitted with, asuflicient number ofstandard lags to almost enclose it, leaving space for but three more lags, three closure lagsare added. Each closure lag consists of two interfitting sections, the sections being fitted to the channel separately and then bolted together in a lap joint to form a complete lag.

A better understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description taken in connection with the ccompanying drawing fprming a part thereof, in

. whic Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a reel assembled in accordance with .one embodiment of the invention; v

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side eleyation of the reel shown in Fig. 1; 1 Fig. 3 is a plan'view of one of the closure ags;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 I of Fig. 1.

Referring-to the drawing, wherein similar parts throughout the'severalviews are in dicated by identical reference numerals, a heavy cable reel, generally denoted by the numeral 10, comprises a pair of" spaced heads 11-11, each having a hub 12 which may con-" -sist of ordinary metal piping, of a rounded and butt-welded plate or the like. The hubs are apertured at 14 for receiving upon occasion an axle (not shown) to permit rotation of the reel when suspended. Acircular plate 1930. Serial N0. {162,509. I

section throughout their entire extent, it be-' ing quite unnecessary, for reasons to be explained below, that any portion of the rim be cut out to permit insertion of the lags. The lags 22, as shown, are rectangular in shape and are of integral construction, consisting usually of wooden bars of rectangular cross section.

To supplement the integnal lags 22 and facilitate the assembling of the reel, three split closure lags 16, 20 and 23 respectively are provided, each consisting of a right hand section. 24 and a left hand section 26. .Each section is provided with reduced projecting .portions 27 and 28, respectively, which, when the lag sections are lap joined in proper position, as'best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, may be rigidly secured together. To accomplish this object, the reduced portion of each section is provided with a pair of aligned spaced apertures 30-30. A pair of carriage bolts 31-31,

each having a square portion 32, are driven in the apertures 30-30 of the reduced portion 27, and are each provided with washers 33-33 and nuts 34-34 for tightening the joint between the sections. I

In order to properly protect the material stored upon the reel it is desirable that the reel be entirely enclosed with the lags. Although the standard lags 22, 22 are longer than the distance between the rims of the annular I beam members, this being necessary in order that they may not be accidentally dislocated after they. are inserted inthe channels thereof, the lags may be readily assembled in the reelby tilting them with dotted lines (Fig; 1). One end of the lag is inserted in the channel-behind the rim, and

respect to'the axis of the reel, as shown in p respect to the axis of the reel after the other end is placed in the groove in the channel. The lag is then permitted to slide to the lowermost point in the periphery of the reel and a second lag 22 is inserted in the channels in Iikemanner and permitted to slide to rest upon the first lag in the conventional manner. This process is repeated, more lags 22 being successively added to build up a group in abutting relationship and enclose the reel, until sufiicient room remains for only three lags, or until the space between the first and the last lags 22 is too small to permit tilting of a standard lag sufliciently to permit insertion thereof behind the rims.

The remaining space is filled and the reel fully enclosed by use of the closure lags described above. Thesection 24, of the closure lag 16, bearing the bolts 31 secured therein is then inserted in the groove 2) of the right hand rim 19 with the portion 27 thereof lowermost and the shanks of the bolts beyond the square portion 32 projecting upwardly therein. The section 26 is then inserted in the groove 20 of the left hand rim 19, the reduced portion 28 thereof being uppermost. The sections 24 and 26 are then joined together by superposin g the portion 28 upon the portion 27, permitting the bolts in'the latter to project upwardly through the apertures in the reduced portion 28. This is accomplished without' ditficulty, since the bolts 31 are driven in the reduced portion 27 and will not be dislocated by pressure of the reduced portion 28. When thus assembled, the washers 33 are placed over the bolts and nuts 34 are tightened by means of a wrench or other suitable device, the bolts being prevented from simultaneously turning in the reduced portion 27 by reason of the square portions 32. The closure lag thus formed is of the same overall dimensions as the standard lag 22 and will be readily held in the channels 20, to all intents and purposes being as strong and as capable of protecting the material stored on the reel as theconventional integral type of lag 22.

The addition of the closure lag 16 materially reduces the size of the remaining open- 1ng but does not materially increase the diificulties of assembling, it being necessary only to place adjacent thereto one of the standard lags, by sliding it downwardly from the main group, thus causing the closure lag 16 to be engaged between two standard lags. The second closure lag 20 is then inserted thereabove in the same manner as is described above in connection with the lag 16, and a second standard lag is slid into position next to the lag 20. Two closure lags having been added, sufficient room now remains for but one more. The assembling is concluded to completely enclose the reel by inserting the section 24 of the remaining closure lag 23 in the groove 20 of the right hand channel member. This section is held in position by means of a screw driver or other wedge type instrument (not shown) which, being inserted between the section 27 and fulcrumed upon the edge of the adjacent standard lag, serves to prevent the section. 24 from falling into the interior of the reel. While the-section 24 is so held, thesection 26 is inserted in the groove 20 of the opposite annular member and the reduced portion inserted over the bolts 31-31, projecting upwardly from the reduced portion 27. The washers 33 and nuts 34 are then quickly applied to secure the two sections firmly together to form the final reel enclosing lag, and the wedge removed.

In removing the cable from the reel or gaining access to the reel for any other reason, the closure lags are first withdrawn by removing the nuts 34 and removing the section 26 from the bolts and then lifting the section 24 from the groove. The standard lags may then be tilted to a position correspending with that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to permit first one end and then the other thereof to be removed from the channel 20.

By utilizing the construction and method described above, it is rendered possible to rapidly and easily lag a reel in such a manner as to cause it to be entirely enclosed, and the removal of the lags is as easily accomplished; and the construction of the closure lags is such that it is not necessary to weaken the annular supporting members of the reel by cutting slots therein, as would be the case were all the lags used of the standard integral l type.

What is claimed is: I 1. In a cable reel, a member for supporting the reel having an. unbroken channel therein, and a two part lag engaging the member for protecting the cable.

2. In a cable reel, a member for support ing the reel having an unbroken channel thereln, and a structure for encloslng the cable and engaging the member comprising a a plurality of lags and including a two part lag.

3. In a cable reel, a plurality of lags in cluding a two part lag for enclosing the reel, and a channel member of continuous cross section for receiving the lags.

4. In a cable reel, a channel member for supporting the reel, a lag engaging the channel of the member for protecting the cable and having two interfitting sections, and means secured to one section and adaptedto engage the other section for forming a complete lag. s

5. In a cable reel, a head including a hub, members secured to the .hub and radiating therefrom, an annular member having an unbroken channel secured to the ends of the radiating members, and a two part lag removably secured within the channel of the annular member for protbting the cable. 6. In a reel, a head including a hub, spokes secured to the hub and radiating therefrom, and an annular member having an unbroken channel secured to the outer ends of the spokes, a plurality of lags engaging the channel of the annular member'for enclosing the reel, and a plurality of two part lags for spacing the first mentioned lags. '7. In a cable reel, a member for supporting the reel having an unbroken channel, a plurality of two part lags and a plurality of integral lags engaged in the channel and l arranged in alternate relationship with re-' spect to the two part lags for enclosing the reel. 1

8. In a reel, a lag having twosections, each section having a portion lapping the corresponding portion of the other section, and means operative at the overlapping portions for securing the sections tightly together.

9. The method .of assembling a reel having two broken channels which consists in inserting thGll Olll a plurality of integral lags arranged in abutting relationship until it is impossible to insert another integral .lag into the remaining space, insert inga two part lag in abutting relationship with two of the integral lags and inserting a second' two part lag in abutting relationship with one of said two integral lags.

10. The method of assembling a reel having two opposing endless channel members of unbroken cross section which consists in 55 inserting therebetween in a tilting manner v a plurality of integral lags which are longer than the space between the flangesof the r opposing channel members, thereafter, ar-

' ranging them in abutting relationship until,

' there remains a space insuflicient to permit the insertion of another lag, slidingihe last two integral lags from themain group and therebetween in abutting relationship therewith inserting a two-part Iag and, on either side ogsiaid two integral lags in abutting flrelatio ip therewith and the ends of the 7 ,main group of integral lags inserting a twoparlt lag to complete'the enclosure of the 7 ree v In witness whereof, I hereunto vsubscribe 7 .my name this 10th day of June A. D., 1930.

LEE R. MCGUIRE. 

